Black artists on my radar (and where to see work in LA)
When we were growing up, Black History Month was the only thing February really held in a prominent way (apart from the joy of candy hearts on Valentine’s Day and the Super Bowl). With all the noise today, it’s hard to keep track of any moment, which made me think about how easily “history” gets flattened if we’re not intentional about what we’re actually paying attention to.
I loved this piece by (linked below) on what people get wrong about Black History Month, especially the idea that it was “given,” or that it’s some symbolic substitute for doing the work year-round. It’s a sharp reset, and a reminder that this tradition came out of study, organizing, and self-determined storytelling - not out of permission.
With that lens, here are a few Black American artists whose work I love, from recent discoveries to longtime favorites, plus where to see Black art IRL in LA before the month closes.
Prints & Originals from Black American Artists
Nurture by (prints start at $42): I have loved Wise since her work first appeared on the New Yorker Magazine cover in 2018. Wise’s art is joyful, layered, and is an instant mood-lifter, but never lightweight.
Weathered, not worn. by Chris Cammille (limited edition prints start at $100): Cammille is an interior designer and artist who just launched her first collection, Messages from Her, a series of abstract figurative works.
Beneath the Fire Sky by Marquest Cathcart (prints start at $85): Cathcart creates surreal portraiture and digital collage that reimagines Black histories through vivid color and layered texture. His works feel fresh and cinematic, like stills you want to step into.
Asleep Under the Same Moon by Cortney Herron (Original, Custom Framed, $5,250): Herron creates dreamlike worlds exploring how energy moves between figures, spaces, and moments of connection. You come for the calm, and then you can feel the vibration just under the surface that pulls you back.
Swing Low Sweet Chariot by Kirk Henriques (Original, $6,800): Henriques focused on abstract figuration with a process he calls is a metaphor of resilience, using scrap materials to make something whole and new. This piece is via Pop Up Home, one of my favorite places for collectible design and contemporary art.
The Mondrian in the Mirror by Myke Wright (Original, $7,500): Wright’s work has a graphic, pop sensibility with clean structure, punchy color, and a sharp wink at art history. He’s on view at Weinstein Gallery in LA through February 14th in his debut presentation, Assorted Flavors.
If you want to build your eye as a collector, and make buying feel less opaque, Collector’s Circle is where I share the deeper monthly layer: a small edit of works I genuinely think are worth living with, plus the context that helps you decide (pricing norms, editions, logistics, what to ask). It’s $6/month through the end of February.
Where to see Black art IRL in LA
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Rele Gallery: Jite Agbro and Austin Uzor, Eye Candy (January 17-February 14)
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Butter Fine Art Fair: an artist-first fair centering African diaspora artists, with a no-commission model (February 27 to March 1)
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Art + Practice x California African American Museum (CAAM): Giving you the best that I got (October 11 - March 7)
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Roberts Projects: Amoako Boafo, I Bring Home With Me (January 17-March 21)
That’s all for this week. I’ll be sharing more LA Art Week details from previews next week, so stay tuned.